Find the Best Residential Meperidine Recovery Center
Meperidine is a narcotic pain reliever that is prescribed for the treatment of moderate-to-severe pain.1 The medication is an opiate agonist and can be highly addictive.1 When addiction occurs, stopping use of the drug outside of a meperidine recovery center can lead to an uncomfortable period of withdrawal, often resulting in the addict resuming use of the drug. There are a number of meperidine treatment centers available, and it is important to find the one that best fits your needs.
Meperidine Withdrawal
The use of meperidine over an extended length of time or in higher quantities than directed can cause the user to become addicted to the medication. While analgesic abuse isn’t widespread, the 2013 National Survey on Drug Use and Health revealed that 15.7 million people admitted to non-medical use of prescription opioids in the pervious year before the survey was taken.2 As the user becomes addicted, cessation of the drug’s use can lead to the development of a variety of withdrawal symptoms, including:1 3
- Restlessness.
- Insomnia.
- Muscle pain.
- Nervousness.
- Sweating.
- Rapid heartbeat.
Withdrawal occurs after abrupt discontinuation of the drug, and the symptoms are often severe enough to cause the user to seek another dose.3 While withdrawal can be tolerated without treatment, checking into a recovery program for meperidine addiction treatment can allow the user to rid their body of the drug. Detoxification with medical assistance can help keep withdrawal symptoms at bay.
Detoxification
The first step in finding the best residential recovery center is to look for a facility that includes a detoxification program upon entry. Detoxification from meperidine allows the addict to eliminate any traces of the drug from the body. This leaves the addict drug-free after completion. Stopping the drug immediately will often cause withdrawal, but through a detoxification program, the withdrawal process can be effectively managed. Centers offering meperidine detoxification can be found by calling .
Detoxification from meperidine in a recovery center consists of slowly tapering off the use of the meperidine under medical supervision. By gradually lowering the dosage of meperidine, the addict’s body receives just enough of the drug to avoid going into severe withdrawal. Eventually the amount of the dosage is low enough so stopping the intake of the drug will not trigger the withdrawal response, at which point no further dosage is given.
Unfortunately, reaction to the tapering-off process can differ between individuals. At any point during the procedure, the lowered amount of the drug may not be enough to stop the withdrawal response. In this case, the dosage is upped slightly. Once the addict is stabilized at the new level, the tapering process can begin again. In some cases, methadone or another medication may be substituted for meperidine.
Medical supervision at the best centers is available on a 24-hour basis, not just to deal with the possible onset of withdrawal, but also to handle medical care for any co-occurring disorders that the addict may experience. This allows the addict to go through withdrawal without worrying about any other medical issues.
After Detox
“There’s a psychological component to addiction that often has to be dealt with as well, and the best meperidine rehab and recovery centers provide extensive therapy to address this. “
Detoxification only rids the meperidine addict of the physical addiction to the drug. There’s a psychological component to addiction that often has to be dealt with as well, and the best meperidine rehab and recovery centers provide extensive therapy to address this. There are a variety of approaches used to aid the patient psychologically, so a search for the best recovery center for a particular individual should concentrate on finding one with an approach that the addict will be comfortable with.
Regardless of the specific approach, the best programs will offer some form of therapy for the patient that is intended to determine the reasons for drug use and to establish methods of future drug avoidance. The therapy generally consists of both one-on-one sessions with an addiction specialist and work with a peer group consisting of other addicts.
Program Length and Location
Drug abuse knows no gender or age limits, though the highest number of users tend to be aged 26 and older, according to a SAMHSA report from the 2014 survey.4 For these users, time spent in recovery can be a major issue, but there is no set period for a successful recovery. Both the detox period and the therapeutic portion of the program can vary in length. The best recovery centers consider this variance and offer extendable programs for patients. Most will begin with a program lasting about 30 days, which can be extended until the patient has successfully learned the skills needed to avoid future drug use.
Another important consideration when looking for the best recovery center is the center’s location. You can find meperidine treatment facilities located throughout the country. Local facilities can provide you with treatment where you can have the support of family and friends to help you through the recovery process. A treatment center located some distance from your home will allow you to go through the process without the distractions that family and friends may bring along with them.
Calling for more information will help you investigate the various meperidine recovery centers that are available and help you find one that meets your specifications.
[1]. AHFS Consumer Medication Information. Meperidine. Bethesda (MD): American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Inc.; Mar 2016. Retrieved from https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/meds/a682117.html.
[2]. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality. The NSDUH Report: Nonmedical Use of Prescription-Type Drugs, by County Type. Apr 2013. Retrieved from http://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/NSDUH098/NSDUH098/sr098-UrbanRuralRxMisuse.htm.
[3]. Hospira, Inc. DEMEROL- meperidine hydrochloride injection, solution. Dec 2015. DailyMed. Bethesda (MD): National Library of Medicine (US). Retrieved from https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=b31d1308-28c3-43f4-e0a6-2f3ed76b8975.
[4]. Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality. (2015). Behavioral health trends in the United States: Results from the 2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (HHS Publication No. SMA 15-4927, NSDUH Series H-50). Retrieved from http://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/NSDUH-FRR1-2014/NSDUH-FRR1-2014.pdf.